Offices

ChengDu Office

FOC previously maintained its main China Office in Chengdu. Due to recent changes in the laws and regulations regarding foundations and non-profit organizations, FOC closed its Chengdu office during 2006 and entered into a relationship with the newly registered YiHua International Cultural Exchange Center (YiHua) in Chengdu. YiHua is a locally owned, locally registered non-profit organization. As part of its service, it represents FOC in Sichuan, as well as providing coordination for all of FOC'swork in China.

Through YiHua, FOC has continued to introduce and give professional support to foreign experts, teachers and students in Sichuan province, as well as seeking other ways to assist in the social development of Sichuan. By working together with YiHua, FOC feels that that it will have even greater opportunities to collaborate with the local government and people of Sichuan.

In 2006, FOC worked in co-operation with the Sichuan American Chamber of Commerce to donate rehabilitation equipment to the Chengdu No.1 Retirement and Rehabilitation Centre. The equipment is used in a special Rehabilitation Therapy Room and is available for the use of all the residents in the Centre, under the direction of experienced and qualified staff.

In April 2006, FOC supported medical work in Shi erQu County, Ganzi Prefecture, by sending one fully qualified foreign doctor to participate in a general medical clinic.

Also in 2006, FOC and FOC-introduced experts provided management and funding consultancy services to some locally-based projects, including:

Firm Foundations in Nanchong (南充市嘉陵芳德残疾人自立学校) ,a residential skills-training centre for disadvantaged and disabled teenagers.
Chengdu Loving China Rehabilitation Hospital in Pixian, which is currently in the planning and building stage.
Chengdu Disabled People's Foundation.

Over many years, FOC Sichuan has supported 3 universities in Chengdu, by introducing foreign teachers (including providing orientation and professional support), and by introducing foreign language students.? These three universities are South West University of Finance and Economics, South West Minorities University and Chengdu University of Technology. ?In addition, FOC Sichuan has organized summer English Language activities at Chengdu University of Technology.

FOC families in Sichuan are committed members of the local community, and in the future we hope to have more opportunities to support locally based healthcare and other social welfare projects.

Qinghai Representative Office

The Qinghai office helps FOC continue to expand its contributions to the development of Qinghai Province. During 2006, FOC maintained a total of over 35 adult personnel and their families in Qinghai. Some of the FOC associates were still in language study preparing for future work in their fields of expertise. Most were already involved in the fields of education, rural development and health care.

FOC's community development work in Qinghai during 2006 included projects involving such areas as water resources, building construction, public health, wind power, handicrafts and agriculture.

This work, both in education and in community development, would not have been possible without the extensive cooperation of the various provincial and local government departments. FOC is particularly appreciative for the cooperation received from local government officials in counties where FOC associates have begun to teach or have initiated community development projects.

Shaanxi Representative Office

A representative office of FOC was registered in Xi'an, Shaanxi in 1999. Its primary purpose is to manage, supervise and expand the activities of Friends of China Foundation in Shaanxi Province. With a large number of FOC-introduced personnel in Shaanxi, it was needed and helpful to open a representative office in Shaanxi to supervise and care for them.

FOC is developing Shaanxi to be the FOC training center, a place where individuals can learn the Chinese language and culture, before moving to their next location to assist in the development of Western China. To this end, in addition to the China-wide Language Consultant appointed in 2003 and based in Xi'an, in 2005 FOC appointed a China-wide Training Manager, also based in Xi'an.

The Shaanxi Office is primarily focused on assisting the FOC teachers at various universities in Shaanxi and the FOC language students who study Mandarin at the Shaanxi Teachers University. The office also organizes short-term teaching and study programs, with a particular focus on assisting the training of English teachers throughout Shaanxi Province, as illustrated by the short-term teacher training program in Yangling County(杨凌) this year.

FOC Shaanxi also introduced short-term lecturers from various countries in many specialized subjects such as Agronomy, Plant Pathology, Environmental Management, Radiation Therapy and Internet Finance.

The work of the office also facilitates provision of health care professionals to care for orphans in Shaanxi.

A high percentage of the Chinese language students introduced through FOC study in Xi'an. As mentioned above, most of these have expertise in various fields other than Chinese. After Chinese study is completed, these students move to various locations throughout China to utilize their skills. A major function of the FOC Shaanxi office, therefore, is to work with the local universities to provide even better language and cultural training for the students as they prepare for their future work in China.

Henan Representative Office

Officially registered in April 2005, the Henan Representative office is located in Zhengzhou. The Henan office provides teachers and trainers in strategic areas such as English education, disadvantaged children, and AIDS/HIV awareness. In 2006, FOC had eleven teachers of English, one teacher of French, one teacher of English and American literature and one Agricultural researcher working in Henan educational institutions. In addition, FOC had thirteen associates studying Chinese in preparation for work within Henan Province at the completion of their language program.

In 2006, Henan Representative Office also introduced four health care professional for short term assistance and training to the Qisehua Welfare Kindergarten.

FOC is grateful to the government and officials of Henan for their support of this work. Due to new Chinese laws relating to the registration of foundations and non-profit organizations, FOC is exploring the option of collaborating with a local non-profit organization in Henan similar to its cooperation with the Sichuan YiHua International Cultural Exchange Center (YiHua) in Chengdu. The Henan Commercial Bureau has graciously extended the registration of the Henan FOC representative office until October 2007 in order to investigate this possibility.